Re-Mineralize Enamel

Published:August 12th, 2011

image from kidcyber.com.au

Tooth Enamel is one of the tissues that make up human teeth. It is also the hardest and most highly mineralized substance in the human body composed of crystalline calcium phosphate. Many dentists will tell you that once you damage it, there is no going back. You cannot repair it because the minute the tooth grows in the mouth, the cell that ignites the growth called ameloblasts dies. There have been attempts to recreate the enamel but nothing comes close to the actual structure.

Enamel is similar to your hair and nails in that it is actually a dead cell but unlike your hair and nails, it doesn’t grow back. However, like your nails and hair, you can re-mineralize it or allow it to heal itself. How? First, let’s determine what destroys our teeth.

1. Improper brushing techniques. Brushing with an old toothbrush, wrong toothpaste, too hard and not often enough will allow the bad bacteria from the food you eat to grow rapidly.

2. Acidic food. Soda, cookies, muffins, and chewing gums are high on acid. There have been demonstrations on how fast a tooth dipped into a bowl of soda deteriorates. Bulimics also have enamel loss because the food they throw up already has acid. There unexpected culprits like cereals and bread.

3. External force. Getting punched, getting hit, or anything that could chip your tooth can also contribute to the decay of your tooth obviously.

4. Commercial toothpastes. Believe it or not, most these toothpaste can block re-mineralization. Most toothpaste contains glycerine which coats the tooth and makes it hard for the minerals to grow back.

Now that you know what destroys your teeth, you will know how to combat it.

1. Clean the surface of your teeth. Re-mineralizing happens in the saliva so make sure your teeth are clean to let the saliva re-mineralize. Brush it enough and brush it the right way. Also, avoid anything that will dry your mouth like nicotine and alcohol.

2. Brush. Whenever you eat anything that is high on acid, brush right away.

3. Don’t use fluoride-based toothpaste. Make your own paste. Mix salt with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. You can also buy toothpastes that are high on calcium or a tooth soap. These are more expensive than the common toothpastes but better for your teeth.

4. Vitamin D is good for your teeth. Fish, eggs, mushroom and soy products are good sources of vitamin D. It would be better if you can grow your own stocks so you are guaranteed to consume organic food. Commercial stocks are full of salt and other chemicals used to preserve the product. The chemicals can also damage your teeth.

5. Use Sea salt. Some people avoid salt but everyone needs some salt in the body. Just avoid processed foods and stick with sea salt. Remember, sea salt is different from processed table salts.

6. Milk. Raw unpasteurized milk is good for your teeth. Just make sure you brush your teeth after drinking it. Egg yolks, hard cheese, chicken liver pate and salami are also good for your teeth.

7. Vitamin C supports gum health. An apple a day is enough to give you the vitamin c requirement for the day.

It is not impossible to re-mineralize the teeth but extremely difficult. Giving up refined sugar, fast food, sweets and junk foods is not easy and impossible for some but that is the price you pay for not taking care of a body part that was designed to last you a lifetime in the first place. Just remember that you don’t have to do everything stated above. Doing half of it will go a long way.

Teeth Whitening In The Media

"An hour or so later, I'm done. I sit up, rinse, and inspect my teeth. They are a full six shades lighter than before; not Hollywood white (which I did not want), but a satisfying shade of ivory"
"Tooth whitening means that it is possible to permanently lighten the colour of the teeth, whatever your age. The end result can be up to six shades lighter than your original colour"
"Teeth can improve over one to two treatments, but some people need repeated treatments over several weeks to get the best results"
"It won't kill you - but there's no denying that shiny white teeth are covetable. On television, yellow teeth are only sported by peasants, serial killers and Shane McGowan."
"A celeb smile doesn't necessarily mean a Hollywood price tag and lots of procedures are available to help you get the most out of your pearly whites. Anti-ageing "teeth-overs" are the quickest way to shed the years and change your image."
"Effects should last from six months to five years depending on how you treat your teeth afterwards. Surveys show that, provided you don't have gum disease or cavities, bleaching doesn't damage your teeth."
"Give teeth extra sparkle by whitening them at home. There are plenty of kits on the market. They work gently without peroxide to remove stains and are said to lighten teeth by several shades."

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